After the Death Ceremony, I was Entangled by My Two Wives - Chapter 24

The plague was like a balloon connected to a pipe…

Ying Buran’s arrival gave them a brief respite. During this lull, the Captain quickly reorganized the team, reforming the encirclement to protect the wounded and sick within.

As they regrouped, fresh Ghost Soldiers emerged from the ground, their eyes blazing with Ghostfire as they glared menacingly at the group.

These Ghost Soldiers were vastly different from the previous ones, which had resembled cobbled-together corpses. These new soldiers more closely resembled the ones she had seen in the Underworld, though there were some superficial differences from the Ghost Soldiers Zhao Chao’an had described.

These must be soldiers of the Western Ghost King, she thought. Our entry into the battle has clearly put him on alert. This reinforced Zhao Chao’an’s earlier claim that the Ghost King was nearby.

But if the Ghost King was so close, why hadn’t anyone sensed her presence? Even Zhao Chao’an had to transform into a bird to completely conceal her aura. While the others might lack the sensitivity to detect her, Zhao Chao’an would undoubtedly have noticed if the Ghost King had manifested her true form.

Su Junying noticed the newly arrived enemies, who were significantly stronger than the previous piles of corpses. “What’s going on now?” she wondered, puzzled by the increasing number of bizarre foes.

The Captain, with her greater experience, quickly identified the newcomers. “These are Ghost Soldiers from the Underworld. They must have escaped illegally, likely through a gate opened by a Ghost King. That explains where they came from and who’s controlling them.”

A Ghost King? Su Junying swung her blade down again, then parried another ghost’s attack, holding her sword defensively. Glancing at Ying Buran, who was also surrounded, she shouted, “Can you control them?”

Ying Buran flicked her sword, deflecting a Ghost Soldier’s spear before thrusting it into the ghost’s core. She shook her head. “I’m not sure. If the Ghost King is still nearby, I can’t control soldiers directly under his command.”

“Try anyway! We’ll create an opening for you!” the Captain roared, her spiritual energy surging as she blasted away the surrounding Ghost Soldiers. She channeled her cultivation technique into a sweeping attack, bl00d seeping from the corner of her eye.

Su Junying swallowed a Medicinal Pill, her spiritual energy also surging. She used her blade to send the enemies near Ying Buran flying one by one.

Ying Buran glanced at the two women and noticed the flames flickering erratically on their shoulders. She realized they were using secret techniques and elixirs to temporarily boost their strength, a desperate measure that would likely leave them utterly exhausted afterward, possibly even damaging their life force.

If her control failed and Zhao Chao’an didn’t return in time, this group might truly meet their end here.

Focusing her mind, Ying Buran began to play the flute. At first, the Ghost Soldiers were merely affected, but the ones composed of piled corpses were more severely influenced, even turning on each other and reducing the pressure on the others.

Ying Buran sensed another force contesting her control. Her spiritual energy alone was proving insufficient to maintain her grip, and some Underworld Ghost Soldiers began to break free. Seizing the moment while the others were distracted, she subtly channeled a wisp of ghostly energy beneath her mask.

Her ghostly energy cultivation had been guided by Zhao Chao’an, and it carried traces of the Ghost King’s aura. For a moment, the stalemate resumed.

Then, abruptly, the Western Ghost King’s control vanished. Ying Buran seized the opportunity, intensifying her efforts to simultaneously seize control of all the Ghost Soldiers. She manipulated them to turn their blades inward, forcing them to commit mass suicide.

They didn’t know when the Ghost King’s control would return, so it seemed safer to eliminate every last one of them. These soldiers couldn’t endure another battle.

Ying Buran lowered her flute, exhaling in relief, and turned to the two women collapsed on the ground. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine, just a bit exhausted. What about you?” Su Junying asked, glancing at their silent Captain.

The Captain shook her head, remaining silent. The other soldiers didn’t rest; instead, they quickly formed a new encirclement, trapping the three women in the center while vigilantly scanning their surroundings. Compared to the Captain, their injuries were relatively minor.

After swallowing a Medicinal Pill, Su Junying moved to the Captain’s side to assess her condition. She retrieved a row of medicinal ingredients from her Storage Ring, sat down, and began grinding herbs with one hand while simultaneously tossing ingredients into the Pill Cauldron with the other to refine more pills.

Ying Buran watched Su Junying’s effortless multitasking with awe. She recalled that refining pills was an extremely demanding task, requiring most cultivators to focus entirely on the process, and even then, failure was common.

She had never seen anyone like Su Junying before.

After a brief observation, Ying Buran joined the defensive formation. Her injuries were minor, mostly fatigue of her divine sense. She also noticed her wounds were healing at an astonishing rate. Even with her mask concealing her face, the surrounding spiritual and ghostly energies surged toward her.

Fortunately, the ghostly energy was minimal, and the others seemed unable to sense it. No one noticed anything amiss, assuming she was simply absorbing spiritual energy to heal herself.

“How are you feeling? You’re absorbing a lot of spiritual energy. Are you badly hurt? I have some medicine here,” Su Junying’s voice came from behind, calm and even a little nonchalant.

Ying Buran turned to look at her, slightly incredulous. “You can still focus on this? I’m fine, thanks for your concern. How’s her injury?”

Su Junying was still multitasking. The Captain’s superficial wounds had already healed significantly, but her aura remained weak. She coughed occasionally, bl00d seeping from the corner of her mouth.

“She’ll be fine. The medicine will be ready soon. After taking it, she just needs a few days of rest without using her spiritual energy,” Su Junying said. The Pill Cauldron glowed faintly, and a Medicinal Pill flew out, landing in her palm.

Before the Captain could say anything, Su Junying swiftly and precisely shoved the pill into her mouth. “There you go, all done. Want to sit down so I can take a look at you?”

Ying Buran was stunned by Su Junying’s fluid movements. Shaking her head, she replied, “No, no, I’m not really hurt.”

In her current state, it was best to avoid close scrutiny. The mask concealed her true appearance and identity, but if that were to be revealed, she couldn’t predict how these people would react.

Once they’d rested and recovered, she’d separate from them as soon as possible. She wasn’t yet ready to be around others for extended periods.

Su Junying sprang to her feet with a nimble flip, leaning in close. “Really?” She scanned Ying Buran up and down several times, her eyes flickering with concern. “Wow, you’re right! Barely a scratch. Your skin’s tougher than I thought.”

“Since you’re fine, I’ll go check on the others. Even if they seem okay now, it’s best to treat them early.”

Clapping her hands, Su Junying selected a few bottles from the row of medicines on the ground. She then retrieved another bottle from her Storage Ring and tossed it to the injured soldiers treating each other nearby. “Here’s your medicine. One pill each.”

She sat before a group of people who, though largely uninjured, were clearly weakened. After carefully selecting a few ingredients, she began brewing again. Ying Buran had never seen anyone brew medicine like this before and leaned in curiously.

“What are you brewing? What’s wrong with them?” Ying Buran asked, glancing between Su Junying and the patients, her curiosity piqued.

Su Junying explained, “It’s a type of plague. The symptoms are similar to Heaven’s Wrath, but there are key differences. Heaven’s Wrath involves spiritual energy and life force being drained away, while this plague causes a gradual loss of vital energy. Once we seal the ‘leak,’ they’ll be temporarily safe, and we can focus on treating the underlying illness later. It’s not as immediately dangerous as Heaven’s Wrath, but the initial symptoms can be quite alarming if not properly investigated.”

“I knew it! My initial conclusion was correct.”

Ying Buran blinked. “Huh?”

A plague? Heaven’s Wrath? How are these two connected?

Seeing Ying Buran’s confusion, Su Junying assumed she hadn’t understood her explanation. After a moment’s thought, she tried a simpler analogy: “Imagine one method is like connecting a tube to a balloon and draining the air out. The other is like puncturing a hole in the balloon. With the latter, sealing the hole temporarily stops the leak.”

“Ah, I think I understand better now,” Ying Buran said, scratching her head. “Thank you for the explanation. But why is the plague associated with Heaven’s Wrath?”

Su Junying finally understood the source of Ying Buran’s earlier confusion. “Sigh, look at me, forgetting you wouldn’t know about this. In short, a plague broke out in Chasing Wind City, and its early symptoms closely resembled those of Heaven’s Wrath. Many people mistakenly believed the city had been cursed. The medicine is ready—take it now. For deeper treatment, I need a secure environment.”

Su Junying handed them the medicine. The soldiers exchanged glances before swallowing the pills. As expected, the sensation of their power draining away vanished after taking the medicine.

“Now that the immediate problem is resolved, shall we talk? Cheng Banxia mentioned you supposedly died in the Heavenly Sacrifice a few years ago, but you still have the aura of a living person. And this half-mask…?” Su Junying stared at the mask on Ying Buran’s face, feeling something was off about it, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint what.

Ying Buran instinctively touched her mask, confirming it was still securely in place over half her face. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Who are you? Why do you know me?”

Su Junying blinked and slapped her forehead. “Oh dear, I forgot again! Let me introduce myself. I’m Su Junying from the Myriad Phenomena Sect, and I’m a close friend of Cheng Banxia. You must know Fellow Daoist Cheng Banxia, right?”

Ying Buran blinked and shook her head awkwardly.

She hadn’t expected to run into a friend of someone she knew so early. While she could pretend to know Cheng Banxia, she worried about encountering the real person later. If that happened, her lie would be exposed. It was better to avoid the pretense altogether.

Su Junying was taken aback. Could she have mistaken Ying Buran for someone else? “You’re Ying Buran, right?”

Ying Buran nodded, watching her silently.

Su Junying scratched her head, then suddenly had a flash of insight. “Ah, I get it! You must have suffered a traumatic shock or a head injury, causing amnesia.”

She nodded in satisfaction. “Yes, that makes perfect sense! Don’t you think so?”

Ying Buran: “……”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Fine, whatever you say.